60 years of Air Forces founding marked

The Air Defence – Air Force Service held a ceremony in Hanoi on March 2 to mark the force’s 60 th founding anniversary (March 3, 1955).

Vietnam ’s Air Forces have rapidly expanded and contributed to a number of glorious victories during its 60-year history.

Highlights are the “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air” victory, the historic battle against US B-52 bomber-led air strikes in December 1972 which forced the US to sign the Paris Peace Accord ending the war.

During the US war, the air force shot down 320 US jet fighters.

The force has been bestowed the medal of Gold Star Order and the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” by the Party, State and Army.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defence Minister, stressed the need for the Air Defence – Air Force Service to increase its vigilance and military readiness in the context of complicated and unpredictable situations in the region and the world.

The ceremony was to honour three soldiers who was posthumously conferred with the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” for their dedication to the US war.-VNA